A Republican challenger plans on major changes if he wins Georgia’s 13th Congressional District seat.

Riverdale business owner Shahid Malik considers climate change a hoax, wants to repeal the federal health care legislation and says that reducing the deficit needs to be done completely with spending cuts, one of his campaign supporters said.

Malik, a native of Pakistan, speaks with a thick accent that can be difficult to understand, said Michael Frisbee, a campaign consultant. So Frisbee asked that he speak for the Malik campaign.

Frisbee, who himself ran against incumbent Rep. David Scott of Atlanta in the 2010 Democratic Primary, said Malik views himself as a “Constitutionalist.” He sees violations of Constitutional rights with aggressive airport security and arrests made against people who want to hold Bible meetings in their homes.

Frisbee said that three quarters of federal spending is unconstitutional.

“They talk about how are we going to fix the deficit — roll back the unconstitutional spending,” Frisbee said. “So much of what the states spend money on has been taken over by the federal government.”

When Congress and the President, whether it is Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, take up the issue of sequestration, across the board spending cuts and tax increases that are scheduled to go into place at the start of 2013 if no deal is reached, Malik will favor cutting pay to federal employees as a way to reduce spending, Frisbee said.

“When they talk about ‘revenue increases,’ they are talking about more taxes,” Frisbee said. “We need to cut expenses and we don’t need to be gutting our defense department to do that. There are so many things in the federal government that are being duplicated.”

Malik would like to repeal Obama’s Affordable Care Act, but does want to make sure portions of the plan, like coverage for preexisting conditions, are salvaged. Frisbee said it will be important to try to find ways to provide health coverage through the private market.

“There are ways to do it that don’t have a major growth of the federal government,” Frisbee said. “There are ways it can be done without having to increase costs with a boondoggle that is leading to a single-payer system.”

Scott, seeking a sixth term in office, takes a large financial advantage into the Nov. 6 election. The incumbent reported $225,606 in cash on hand with the Federal Election Commission on Sept. 30, while Malik didn’t report any funding. Frisbee said the campaign is expecting to get around 40 percent of the vote, and it would be a “dream” to reach more than 50 percent.

“It’s definitely an uphill battle, even with the redistricting from 2010,” Frisbee said. “We did see a number of highly liberal areas go over to other districts.”

District 13 includes southwest Cobb, as well as Douglas, south Fulton and parts of Fayette, Henry and Clayton counties. Frisbee said Scott has been out of touch with the district.

“He claims to be a Blue Dog conservative, but he has voted far from it,” he said of Scott. “From 2007 through 2011, he voted down the line with (former House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi. What this man has tried to push as far as legislation is not in any kind of favor with our area.”

When they see Malik’s name on the ballot, voters will notice he is referred to as “S. Malik.” Frisbee said a former staffer decided to use an initial for the candidate’s first name because of concerns at the time of the United States’ relationship with Pakistan.

Frisbee said the Constitution attracted Malik to the United States.

“He thought it was one of the most amazing documents he ever came across,” Frisbee said. “He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity he didn’t have in Pakistan…He sees that the current person in office has not been abiding by that Constitution. He sees the federal government growing bigger and bigger and violating what the Constitution stands for.”

I am not a Democrat and definitely do not agree with all of Representive Scott's positions, but I have a lot of respect for the man. Whenever I have contacted his office about an issue that is coming up for vote, he has always acknowledged my position with respect and explained why he differs. He is able to carry on a logical conversation. This is far different from our Republican Senator Chamblis, who sends out blanket responses on his position that you obviously agree with as a citizen of Georgia, even though his position is the exact opposite of yours.

I will have to vote for a man who I disagree with regularly, but respect over someone that I cannot find anything out about, especially when the one is a natural born citizen and the other comes from a nation whose loyalties are questioned.

I'm no fan of David ("I'm invisible in the district until some fake Nazi or publicity-seeking staffer might've written slurs on my sign") Scott, but I am concerned about this man running for Congress against him on the REpublican ticket who will not speak for himself, who is a recent immigrant from the Middle East and who no one knows from Adam.

Mr. Malik, we are so glad you find our Constitution a great document and care enough about your new home to run for one of the highest political offices available, but perhaps you should gain a greater understanding of our language before running? If you cannot even speak except through a hired gun, please do not be disappointed with few votes. How can you debate in Congress? How can you represent the people without the skills to speak on your own behalf? All due respect, good luck. Just know your candidacy raises questions, for me, about the Republican party.

Malik understands the English language quite well, as well as speaks it. The interview was being done via telephone, and though he has been here 27 years, he still has a thick accent which is hard to get through in a phone conversation.

When he speaks to a group, or other speaking opportunities, he prepares his notes and takes time to enunciate clearly, and is understood.

He is well known throughout Clayton and Henry counties where he is involved in the communities there as well as the Republican party in that area.

As for a hired gun, I receive no pay being a campaign volunteer and friend of Mr. Malik's.

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